Everyone Needs Strategies....What are yours?

One of the things that helped me lose 133 pounds and has helped me in my maintenance is to have a plan. I know that sounds like in some ways kind of a strange thing or can even be daunting thought, especially when maybe you don't even know what that plan needs to be.  I think in the beginning we all know what our initial plan is - to get healthy, maybe lose weight, feel better about ourselves, etc. Right? But I think sometimes just going with that and not having any strategies that are going to help us get there, will only set us up for failure. And if we fail at this attempt, it might be a while before we have the faith and/or confidence to try it again.

Some of the strategies I've used that have helped me be successful are as follows:

Planning my meals for the day

Exercising 4-5 times a week (preferably 5)

Tracking my progress

No excuses

Celebrating the small victories

Believing in myself

Just doing it and sticking with it! (even when the going gets tough)

For months I logged what I was eating on-line. (A notebooks works just as well.) For me it was like a game to see the total number of calories add up and to stay within the 14-1600 range I was aiming for, depending on the day. I know of people who make a little chart and have it handy. Whatever works for you. Something else I like to do is have a visual. (I'm such a visual learner.) I often times will put a little X or something on the calendar when I've gone to the gym so I can then see the days adding up. I remember when I first started my journey.  That was a huge motivator for me. If I went to the gym X amount of times during that month, I rewarded myself. (Not with food!)

Lately I've been re-evaluating my strategies and recommitting myself. I think doing this often is important. If something isn't working for you, switch it up and try another approach. The beauty to this whole process is there are several avenues to take. It's just finding the right one that works for you.

Everyone needs strategies in order to be successful.  You do. I do. We aren't expected to be experts at whatever strategies we chose to go with either. As long as we are getting up each day, putting one foot in front of the other, trying to make changes, and doing the best we can, the change WILL come. Just remember, it may take time. And what you put into something is what you'll get out of it. I promise the reward at the end is so worth it!

Here's my latest bowling strategy. Funny thing is....it totally worked!!